There was nothing formal or official about this temporary cease-fire, nothing negotiated at the top of the food chain by the leaders of the nations at war.
It was just a spontaneous act on the part of men away from home, engaged at the very beginning of what would come to be known as "The Great War" and "The War To End All Wars".
Those were misnomers of course, and this brief interlude in the insanity of mechanized slaughter on a scale previously unknown to mankind did not, could not last.
But for much of that Christmas Day 110 years ago, men laid down arms and put aside differences, met each other in the middle, shook hands...
...exchanged small gifts and enjoyed a welcome if too brief respite from the insane business of death.
It did not last, of course - nothing man made can or ever will last - but it did capture, however briefly, the essence of this holiday.
God sent His Son for our salvation, and the day will come when "the government shall be upon His shoulder".
In that time, yet future, there will be peace on earth, good will to men...The Prince of Peace will make it so.
Until that day we soldier on in this broken world, seeking solace and peace wherever it may be found, however briefly.
I hope you and yours were able to gather on this holy day and experience the peace and hope of God and the blessings of friends and family.
Merry Christmas, mcm fans...
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